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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Kinderpack Sizing Comparison

Looking at getting a Kinderpack and not sure what size would work best for you? We'll break down the sizes for you and hopefully help you in your decision.

The Sizes

Kinderpacks come in four sizes; infant, standard, toddler, and preschool. Kindercarry has a sizing guide with the age, weight, and height they feel their sizes work the best with. For the sake of this post, we will not be doing the Preschool size. See the Kindercarry website for more information on that size.

InfantDimensions: 15" h x 9-15" wAges NB-18mos: starting at 8lbs and up to 30"
The infant sized Kinderpack is comparable in height and width to many carriers on the market. But unlike other carriers, the infant Kinderpack has and adjustable base with a buckle mechanism that allows the parent to cinch the base of the carrier to different widths to allow very young babies to be legs out, with proper positioning.

StandardDimensions: 16" h x 17" wAges 8mo-3 yrs: starting at 20lbs/28" and up to 38"
Standard is the best choice for most people who are not looking for a carrier for a young baby. Kindercarry says that the standard is designed to fit up to 3 years old/4T. This is the size to buy if you want a carrier that is more supportive for an older baby without needing to size up at a later point.

ToddlerDimensions: 18" h x 19" wAges 18 mos- 4+ yrs: starting at 25 lbs/32" tall
This toddler carrier is larger than many other toddler carriers on the market. There is a huge difference between the standard and the toddler size, but the toddler size is perfect for people who love babywearing and plan to continue wearing well beyond 2 years of age. Kindercarry says that the minimum recomended size is just that, and it may still be too large for a child who meets those minimums.

the height measurements are without the headrest. add 2" for the overall height

*all Kinderpacks have a 50 lbs weight limit*

Comparison

To give you a clear picture of what the sizes look like in comparison to each other, we've done a series of photos for you so you can see infant, standard, and toddler sizes on the same child.

The child photographed is a 2 year 9 month old (33 months) girl measuring about 37" tall.

You can see that the infant size Kinderpack is very comparable in size to most buckle carriers on the market. Kindercarry's recommended age and height on the infant carrier is well below the age of the toddler being worn and the fit is pretty standard. If I could only have one carrier and I needed it from birth through my babywearing years, I would strongly consider this size since it really does allow you to carry both an infant and a toddler.

The standard is a good carrier for someone looking for a slightly taller and wider carrier, though it can not be used with younger babies. It definitely has more room than the infant, but the toddler pictured is at the high end of Kindercarry's age and height recommendation and I feel this carrier would comfortably fit us for a long time still.

The toddler size is very large with room for my almost 3 year old to grow! It is a great carrier for people that want to continue wearing well into the toddler years. That being said, my toddler would not have fit in this carrier at 18 months old.

A Guide

As you can see, the standard size Kinderpack is still a good fit for my toddler, though she is about at the recommended age and height for this size. In my opinion, though the toddler carrier is wider, I personally preferred the fit of the standard over the toddler in feel. And there is no way she would have fit in the toddler size over a year ago, so it is important to remember the size and age recommendations on these carriers is a guide and actual fit can vary. Some babies and toddlers will fit these carriers outside the age and size recommendations. If your child has a long torso or is very tall, they may fit easier in a larger carrier. On the same hand, if your child is petite or has a shorter torso, you may find a smaller size more comfortable.

So don't worry, your child will not suddenly outgrow your carrier at a specific age. The sizes are offered and designed to give you more options to suit your individual needs, not to make you buy the next size up as soon as your child ages out of the size you own.

Kinderpacks are great carriers with some great features. For more information on Kinderpacks, visit our website.

Also forgot to ask, are the straps the same thickness for all three sizes? And, is the hipbelt the same size on all of them? When I tried the Kinderpack I found that the belt was so huge on me, I could not sit down or bend and I couldn't place it higher on me because the straps were at their shortest (with a standard size carrier). I found that the straps were too wide, too. I'm 5'4" and 95lbs and looking for a carrier with lots of room for baby's butt.

To my understanding, the length for standard straps is the same on all three body sizes, though Kindercarry offers Plus size straps for people who need longer straps. However, the body height on a carrier will affect how the strap length fits you. Since the body of the standard is taller than the infant, the same size straps will essentially be longer. The strap thickness is also the same on all three sizes, though Kindercarry has experimented with different strap thickness on their Kinderpacks. So carriers may have different strap padding depending on when they were produced. The differences in the sizes of the carriers above is in the body length, and nothing else.

Kindercarry has added perfect fit adjusters to all their straps now. This can shorten the shoulder straps for people that need a shorter length. I don't know if the one you tried had that on there or not. Also, crossing the straps across your back while front wearing needs much more strap length than using the straps in a backpack position. This could help you. But it also could be that the carrier is just too large for your frame. Luckily there are lots of carriers out there and I am sure you will be able to find something that works well for you if you keep looking!

New Shop

Our store is now closed. Some of the links in the posts will no longer work. The product information is still good and a simple search should help you find somewhere to purchase. Sorry for any inconvenience.